


Well Aged

by water_bby



Category: Naruto
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:20:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23422318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/water_bby/pseuds/water_bby
Summary: Budget week is Iruka's least favorite part of being the Head of the Academy.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Comments: 6
Kudos: 97
Collections: Iruka's Birthday Shiritori 2020





	Well Aged

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Team Bisuke.

“Teacher! Teacher!”

As the familiar call drifts in through his office window, Iruka looks up from the draft budget for the next school year. A first-year class is enjoying the warm day by practicing basic forms. He allows himself a few minutes to sink into old habits, counting off students in his head as he tracks each member of the class. They are doing well. They, in fact, look like they are easy to teach, which means they would not have been his class. Iruka had, after all, developed a reputation for being able to manage the difficult students.

The clock on his desk chimes softly, and he turns away from the window. On days like this, he misses teaching. Although, he admits, it might be as much the budget as it is the idea of being outside rather than trapped in the Academy walls. But he accepted the position of Head when it was offered, and he is good at it, so he puts up with the yearly budget request process.

Unlike most days, Iruka doesn’t stay later than his teachers today. Once the students leave, he makes one quick pass through the Academy, checking in on his staff, and then grabs the stack of papers that have already consumed most of his afternoon and leaves. He pays no attention to the senior teachers smirking as he finishes his rounds. They all remember the chaos around the previous Head’s reaction to budget time, and if Iruka wants to get away from the Academy, no one is going to say anything to him about it. He figures they say plenty among themselves.

Iruka stops by Ichiraku’s for take-out. He’s learned over the years that it’s better to treat himself to ramen than to try to cook or even plan to leave the house later for dinner. Kakashi’s workday will probably run another three hours, so Iruka intends to focus on the budget now in case they both feel okay just relaxing once Kakashi is home. Budget time is hard on the Hokage. Iruka had already seen that before he became Head of the Academy, and he vowed to do his part to help Kakashi as best he could. Therefore, the Academy budget request has gained a reputation for being the easiest to deal with, even if it’s not the first to make it to the Hokage’s desk. (It’s the easiest because Iruka has learned to make all his arguments for changes in writing. This way, the Elders and Kakashi can review it without having Iruka present. Kakashi occasionally jokes about having Iruka teach a class on formatting a budget request.)

Iruka is surprised to find Kakashi already home, changed out of his formal robes, and putting his own selection of take-out boxes in the refrigerator.

“You’re home early.”

“I wanted to have dinner with you, so I brought home the non-classified budgets. We can suffer together.”

Iruka nods, gives him a quick kiss, and goes to change into his own comfortable clothes. He doesn’t believe he’s been given anything like a full answer, but Iruka has learned that he can wait for Kakashi to tell him. If something were truly wrong, Cat would have let him know before he’d entered the door.

A couple hours later, when Kakashi comes back from washing the dinner dishes and putting away the leftovers, he is carrying the good saki. Iruka watches his husband closely. They have had a drink or two over the budgets in the past, but never the good saki in their best set. They save that for celebrations, and even completing the budgets doesn’t count as that. Besides, Iruka figures he’s at least two days away from finishing, and Kakashi probably has a week or so more beyond that.

“So, Iruka-sensei,” Kakashi says as he pours the first cup, “would you be interested in taking your vacation next year to your favorite onsen?”

Iruka stares at him. He always takes a week’s vacation before the start of the new school year because it allows him to begin the year relaxed, but he never leaves the Village because Kakashi’s schedule doesn’t allow him time off then.

“My treat,” Kakashi adds.

Iruka carefully pours a cup of saki for his husband. “I’d love to, but won’t that interfere with…”

Kakashi shakes his head. “I’ve called Naruto home.”

It’s not a strange move. Naruto, after all, has a wife who will be happy to have her husband back to help with childcare. However, Iruka has learned that when Kakashi gets like this, there is always something else going on.

They stare at each other for a long moment before Iruka puts together Naruto being in the Village and Kakashi being able to take a vacation at the same time that Iruka does.

“I’m not ready to step down from the Academy yet,” he warns.

“Didn’t think you were,” Kakashi answers.

Iruka leans over and kisses Kakashi deeply, pulling back only to laugh.

“Not that I’m complaining, but why are you laughing at me?”

“With you. I’m laughing with you.”

Kakashi does, indeed, laugh with Iruka. “Okay, why are we laughing?”

Iruka kisses his husband again. Even with the budget hanging over his head, this has turned into a happy day.

“I have the most wonderful husband in the world. He comes home early during budget week. He pours me the good saki. He recognizes when the student is ready to become the master. And he plans to take me to my favorite onsen as our gift for his retirement.”


End file.
